Shout! Factory Expanding Into Original Production With Film ‘Fender Bender’

October 21, 2015

Shout! Factory
is best known for its exhaustive compilations of Golden Age television
shows, comedy legends retrospectives and celebrations of everything from
the avant garde to the iconic. Past projects have encapsulated
everything from shows like “The Dick Cavett Show” and “Mystery Science
Theater 3000” to showcases of Mel Brooks and Steve Martin.

But the media company isn’t just content with providing handsomely appointed box sets
perfect for nostalgic binge watching. It’s moving into producing its
own content and it’s decided on its first project, a horror thriller
titled “Fender Bender.”
The film is described as a throwback to the horror films of the 1980s —
a time when homicidal maniacs like Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees
routinely terrorized hapless teens.

“Over the last few years we’ve built up credibility with these fans,”
said Jordan Fields, the company’s head of acquisitions. “We know this
audience. We know where they live and what they love.”

Shout! Factory will develop, finance and executive produce the film
and plans to go into production this year in New Mexico. Casting is
currently underway and the picture will be written and directed by Mark
Pavia (“The Night Flier”).

Going forward, it hopes to produce one or two films annually.

“We’re hoping that it’s the first of many,” said Shout! Factory
founder Garson Foos. “We have been in discussions and negotiations on
other original projects, but ideally we’d like to get this one finished
before we greenlight another one.”

Shout! Factory has rolled out a few films theatrically, so it has
some experience on that kind of distribution. However, the company has
decided whether or not it will release “Fender Bender” in theaters, as
well as on home entertainment platforms.

“It’s a natural progression for us and it’s very much in that sweet
spot of genre films that we’re known for,” said Shout! Factory founder
Bob Emmer. “We want to create something that broadens the scope of what
we’re doing and gives us a property we fully control.”

Nadia Redler (“Fear X”) and Brainstorm Media’s Meyer Shwarzstein will
also executive produce the film with Shout! Factory. Carl W. Lucas
(“The Signal”) and Joshua Bunting (“The Blackout”) of EchoWolf
Productions will be producers, with Fields and Shout’s Gus Krieger serving as co-producers.